1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to closure fasteners and especially to the type employing a bolt. In another aspect, the invention relates to closure fasteners in which a bolt also serves as a brace. A closure fastener provides a child-resistant feature and can be applied to folding door sets, double door sets, sliding doors, single pivot doors, drawers, and many other types of closures.
2. Background Art
Latch assemblies can be applied to secure many styles of doors and other closures. A barrel bolt is an example of a latch assembly that is often added to a door, to operate between the side of a door and the doorframe. The barrel bolt provides an elongated, round bolt carried in the bore of a cylindrical bolt housing, usually mounted on a door. An operator arm extends from the side of the bolt and through a slot in the housing. The operator can extend and retract the bolt in the housing and rotate with the bolt to lodge the operator in any of various notches in the side of the slot, thus fixing the bolt in a stationary position. A keeper is mounted in alignment with the bolt path, typically on the doorframe, and receives the extended end of the bolt to lock the door to the frame.
In terms of being child-resistant, barrel bolts have the disadvantage of operating by the single operating lever to perform all functions. This operating routine is so simple that a small child can accomplish it. Thus, the simplicity of a barrel bolt causes it to be unsuited for use as a child-resistant latch.
Other types of child-resistant latches are known. A variety of latch designs are necessary to match various latch characteristics to the style of each door. A door or a set of doors that move to open or close in the plane of the door requires a special latch design. Examples of such doors include folding doors sets and sliding doors, which often are used as closet doors or fireplace doors. Many conventional latches are not useful because the doors draw away from each other or from the doorframe in the plane of the bolt, thus extracting the bolt from the keeper by movement of the door, itself. Special types of latches can be used in these situations, such a top bolts or floor bolts, or the side latch can be a hook.
Adding a child-resistant latch to certain doors can be difficult if the door is not designed to accommodate a latch. For example, the material of a glass door cannot be drilled to attach a lock. Certain designs of sliding doors are constructed of a thin panel in a small frame and lack sufficient thickness or frame size to receive an added lock. A metal door might be overly damaged by the addition of screws. If a child-resistant latch is to be attached to these types of doors, it may require an adhesive base.
It would be desirable to have a latch that can be applied to substantially any type of style of closure.
The issue of securing all types of closures commonly arises in family life when a child is present. Keeping all types of doors closed and locked becomes important for safety of the child. Houses, fixtures, and furnishings can present an unknown variety of closure types and designs. A variety of specialized and unique locks may be available to accommodate each individual type of closure found in a home. However, the adult residents may face a frustratingly large variety of different lock designs and operating methods within a single home. The inconvenience of this situation discourages the wide use of child-resistant fasteners. Suppliers and installers of child-resistant latches face the related difficulty of providing a sufficient variety of locks to accommodate all closures.
Consequently, it would be desirable for one type of operating mechanism in a child-resistant latch to be broadly effective with the many types of closures found in a residence. The adult residents will find a single mechanism far more acceptable for widespread installation and regular use. Also, the supplier and installer of child-resistant fasteners may expect better acceptance of the product.
Among child-resistant locks and latches especially suited for sets of folding doors, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0201649 to Christensen is a recent example. A pair of bars is joined at an adjustable gap by screws or bolts. In use, the bars extending across the several doors of a set, clamping door handles between the bars. Thus, the doors no longer can open either by folding or sliding apart. This solution may be effective but is of limited application and utility. Sandwiching the door handles requires tightening screws or bolts, making the lock a semi-permanent solution. Employing such a device on doors of a seldom-used fireplace may be acceptable, while closing off more frequently used doors may not. Thus, the need continues for a reliable and readily operated latch that is suited for use with sliding and folding doors, as well as other types of doors.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the method and apparatus of this invention may comprise the following.